Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks.

21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

22 Philip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit.

25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.Many years ago, when my sons were quite young, I was asked to preach in a very old sanctuary of a church in East Texas. When the time came during the worship service, I stepped into that very old pulpit, And there was taped to the pulpit, with some very old/ very brittle, scotch tape… Not the smooth plastic type of today, but yellowing cellophane tape, A handwritten phrase from today’s lesson. It read simply: sir, we wish to see Jesus.

I was deeply moved as I thought of the many years and the many pastors over those years that had seen and been impacted by that yellowed phrase as they looked out upon the congregation.

I have from time-totime asked people why they have come. All of us, pastors and lay people alike should come to church to encounter God. May this and the Sundays that follow find us in worship.

Why?

We wish to see Jesus.

Blessings,